Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, attacked the church of his Democratic opponent, Rep. James Talarico, in an X post.
Paxton said St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin “harbors illegals” and claimed one of its ministers “says most members are atheist.” He also accused the church of hanging a trans flag over the cross and said Talarico was lying to Texans about his faith.
Paxton’s post included undercover video recorded by Texas Scorecard, a conservative advocacy outlet. The footage shows Rev. Carol Johnson, whom the church identifies as its “minister for welcome and inclusion.” Johnson says the congregation does not have many religious people. She also says a man from Guatemala who has worked at the church for eight years lives there and describes St. Andrew’s as “a sanctuary church.”
Newsweek contacted the church, both Senate campaigns and the Austin Police Department outside office hours but had not received responses when it published its report.
What Paxton claimed and what the record shows
“Harbors illegals.” Johnson’s remarks in the video form the basis for Paxton’s claim. The church’s sanctuary work is documented elsewhere.
NPR reported in 2016 that the congregation took in Hilda Ramirez, a Guatemalan mother and her 9-year-old son Iván after the government denied their asylum request. In 2025, NPR reported that St. Andrew’s had sheltered Ramirez and her son since 2016 and that she said she fled domestic violence in Guatemala.
The sources reviewed do not establish whether the person Johnson described is Ramirez. They also do not report any criminal charges against the church.
“Most members are atheist.” Paxton’s wording is stronger than the recorded remark on which it appears to be based.
In video obtained by Townhall Media, Rev. Babs Miller, the church’s minister to the parish, said that if members were polled on whether they were Christian, agnostic or atheist, the vast majority would say agnostic or atheist. Miller did not say “atheist” alone.
A trans flag over the cross. This is Paxton’s description. The videos and reports reviewed for this article do not independently document or verify the claim.
Why Talarico’s church is in the spotlight
Talarico has made his Christian faith central to his campaign, bringing increased attention to his church.
In a 2023 guest sermon, he told worshippers he had belonged to St. Andrew’s since he was 2 years old. That same year, speaking to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, he said the church had “really shaped my worldview.”
Rev. Jim Rigby, the senior pastor, has played a significant role in Talarico’s connection to the church. Rigby baptized Talarico, married his parents and delivered the invocation when Talarico was sworn into the Texas House.
Miller told The Texas Tribune earlier that she was one of Talarico’s references for seminary. According to The Texas Tribune, as cited by Newsweek, Rigby was tried by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the 1990s for ordaining gay clergy.
The church describes itself as “Presbyterian & Progressive,” according to Texas Scorecard reporting cited by Breitbart.
Talarico’s campaign has not been accused of endorsing the remarks in the recordings. One outlet that published the Miller footage also noted there is no evidence in the available reporting that Talarico personally expressed support for the 2024 assassination attempt against Trump.
The earlier recordings
The video was the second set of secretly recorded church conversations released by conservative outlets.
Townhall Media published footage dated August 20 in which Miller discussed the congregation’s beliefs. In the footage, she said, “We still have people in this church who wish that the young man had not just nicked his ear.”
According to Townhall, Miller was referring to the July 2024 attempt on Donald Trump‘s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was wounded and the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by law enforcement.
Townhall interpreted Miller’s remark as a reference to the attack.
The race behind the attacks
Talarico, a state representative from Austin, won the Democratic nomination after a primary contest with U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff. The Cook Political Report subsequently moved the race from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up.”
Recent polling has shown a close contest.
A Texas Southern University poll of 1,800 likely voters, conducted September 15-19, put Talarico at 47 percent and Paxton at 46 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.31 points.
An NBC 5 Dallas/Telemundo Station Group poll of registered voters found Talarico at 46 percent and Paxton at 43 percent.
Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, according to Forbes. Democrats are seeking to flip the chamber, which would affect the legislative environment for President Trump’s agenda during the final two years of his term.
According to Newsweek, citing Federal Election Commission filings, MAGA Inc., the main super PAC supporting Trump, gave the Paxton campaign another $5 million.
Paxton left off fundraiser list
The New York Times reported that former President George W. Bush and Texas Sen. John Cornyn were scheduled to attend a Maintain the Majority fundraising dinner for Republican Senate candidates on September 21.
According to Newsweek’s account of the invitation, the list included Sens. Susan Collins, Jon Husted, Dan Sullivan and Ashley Hinson, as well as candidates John Sununu in New Hampshire and Mike Rogers in Michigan.
Paxton was not listed.
Trump endorsed Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the May runoff. Newsweek contacted the Paxton campaign and the offices of Bush and Cornyn for comment.
